It is difficult to skim surface oil from a turbulent body of water, as wave action tends to promote co-mingling of the oil with the water. In order to address this problem, attempts have been made to remove co-mingled water and oil from the surface of the turbulent body of water and use a separator mounted in a marine vessel to separate the oil and the water into an oil stream that is captured and a water stream that is returned to the turbulent body of water. It has been found that the wave action of the turbulent body of water rocks the marine vessel, promoting co-mingling within the separator and hindering the separation process. What is required is an apparatus that is capable of separating liquids having differing densities, notwithstanding environmental agitation.